I am a basketball referee who is making the jump to USSSA slowpitch in the summer months. I have played SP for years, but never really paid attention to the umps! Is there a website somewhere that shows the mechanics of umpiring? I want to make sure I get them right and don't pick up any bad habits in the beginning.

Ummm... do those bad habits include trying to learn mechanics from a web site?

:) Just kidding. The NCAA one is very good:
http://www1.ncaa.org/membership/cham...ire_manual.pdf

Boy, tough crowd! Thanks for the website. Exactly what I was looking for. I just want to know where I can get a man with muscles like their cartoon ump has! :)

Just remember, in USSSA SP, with a runner on, the position for the BU is inside the diamond.

Why U Trip?????????????

They are the main organization in our area. Bad choice?

Maybe not in your area. In most places, if you really chose to be trained in mechanics, you would need to join an ASA association.

Though slowly but surely USSSA is trying to change this.

Not in our area! They still S_ _ K!!!!

Yah...utrip still sipping through straws in Seattle area. Too bad, really, because the better they are, the better we all are.

Well John and Ed, there is a simple way to remedy that. Follow the same path that I did. I starting working USSSA because there is so much of it in this area, and subsequently our customers (the players and local PARDs) were playing it. I found myself working on the field, many times, with the state UIC. I proposed to him the idea of requiring clinics for all USSSA umpires. After some talk, he decided that if USSSA was going to get any respect, that is exactly what he would do. He also decided that he would accept attendance at either ASA or USSSA clinics to meet this requirement. Last year, North Texas USSSA began conducting and requiring clinics for all of their umpires, if they are going to call at either the state or national level.

Every association has good and bad umpires - based on the leadership of the association in the area. A lot of it is demographics - different associations have a different presence geographically - so do the best whereever you are and whatever association you have to work in within your area. Bottom line is learn the rules, hustle, be in position, and be professional - in attitude and in the way you look. If you do those things, you will be on your way to becoming a good umpire.